The present invention relates to a sealing gasket and more particularly to a collapsible sealing gasket that can be moved from a collapsed position to an operable position.
In the past, sealing gaskets have either been stamped from a sheet of gasket material or made in a collapsible form such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,711. Gaskets stamped from a sheet of gasket material have required many parts and steps in the manufacturing operation and have utilized substantial quantities of material with substantial waste. Collapsible gaskets made in accordance with the '711 patent have solved the material waste problem, but the corner joints connecting the gasket sections were delicate and often broke when the gasket was moved from its collapsed to its operable position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible gasket which not only solves the material waste problem but also which provides a unique corner configuration that allows the gasket to be moved between collapsed and operable positions a number of times without deterioration or breaking of the corner connections.